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The origin of Christmas can be traced to the pagan holidays. It was in the year 354 AD that Christians in the West began the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ on the 25th of December; before that time, it was celebrated on the 6th of January. At the time, Christians considered many of the pagan traditions and festivals of the season that was practiced in most parts of Europe and the Middle East as a means of making them increasingly irrelevant.

Christmas day or Christmas is an annual holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Although it is observed on different dates in some churches, it is a fact that the actual time of the birth and death of Jesus Christ has not been determined. There are many sides to the celebration of Christmas, some of which are religious and some secular, including the myth of Santa Claus, the exchange of gifts, display and decoration of Christmas tree, and religious occasions.

Christians celebrate Christmas by recreating or remembering the Nativity of Christ. While the Western Church most Christians prefer to celebrate the Advent of Christ, the Eastern Orthodox Churches engage in the Nativity fast in anticipation of the birth of Christ. Children usually sing Christmas carols that make reference to the celebration or celebrate the events of the Nativity. Some Christians place a small size recreation of the Nativity in their houses using small sculptures to display the key persons in the story of the birth of Christ.

Beau considine/flickr

The joy of bringing hope to the lives of others, bearing the burden of others, easy loads of others and filling empty lives and hearts with generous gifts is the true essence of Christmas. It is a period when people do things that they usually don’t do. Be kind to others if you have demonstrated wickedness throughout the year and such things as kindness, love and compassion are infectious. You may find yourself becoming loving and kind for the rest of your entire life which will do you a whole lot of good.

Christmas is a time of the year when we let go of the painful realities of this evil world and adopt and embrace a more real universe (heaven) which represents the ideals that we cherish and believe in but find it difficult to follow through in an unforgiving and ugly world which is inclined towards eroding the real loving nature of man.

The post HISTORY AND MEANING OF CHRISTMAS appeared first on NIR News / National Investigative Report.

When we try to find answers about the history of Halloween, we need to trace back to the period of time prior to the birth of Christ. The history of Halloween originated in England among the Celtics New year festival.

Today, this event is an annual holiday celebrated on the 31st of October. The origin of Halloween however, has gone through a mixture of different practices and traditions. It is now a blend of Celtic practices, traditions of Europe and Roman Catholic religious activities.

Halloween is a day of celebration which has a superstitious side to it. Initially, it was a day believed to be a day when spirits visit the earth and communicate with the living. It was a day influenced by the Celtic day of Samhain, which translates to mean the end of summer. The Catholics observe the 1st of November as All saints day or Hallowmas and All Hallows or Halloween is celebrated on the eve of Hallowmas.

It is believed that the practice of the Christians celebrating the All Souls Day or All Saints Day on the evening before that day stems from the Jewish tradition of celebrating every holiday from the setting of the sun the previous day until the setting of the sun on the next day.

Now the Halloween of today is not the same as it was over 2000 years ago. Despite all the beliefs and traditions which influence the Halloween day, what we now celebrate is a holiday which is full of fun for children as they get involved activities such as telling Halloween stories which are scary, wearing Halloween costumes and enjoying Halloween recipes.

Halloween is a time of the year that is full of fun and freakish. It is a time when there is only a thin line between the world of the living and the world of the dead and you are sure to feel the scare with goblins, ghosts, werewolves, and witches prowling around ̶ both in their costumes and in their selves. Halloween is an event when to allow the naughty side of you to come alive while you play pranks, scare the living hell out of your folks and spruce up in freaky costumes.
The Celtic Druids or priests also made bonfires and offered sacrifices on this day. This reason for this was to scare away the spirits of the dead and avoid being possessed by them. Also to keep these spirits away, they dressed up as monsters and ghosts and put off all the lights in their houses

The post HISTORY AND MEANING OF HALLOWEEN appeared first on NIR News / National Investigative Report.

The village of Zermatt in Switzerland is a car-free zone, so most visitors arrive by mountain train. But Zermatt keeps its best-known sight a secret until the last moment as the famous Matterhorn is only revealed at the final turn in the track when the train arrives in town. Getting around is on foot or by the electric vehicle here.

Zermatt Glacier Express

Towering above Zermatt, the Matterhorn is one of Switzerland’s most iconic sights. One of the best ways of getting up close to the famous mountain is to take the cable car from the village to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise on the Klein Matterhorn. This adventurous journey takes three cable cars and goes to 12749 feet above sea level. From the viewing platform 38 famous mountains in the Alps can be seen, and there is year-round skiing. The Glacier Palace is a beautiful display of ice carving, but the views across the Alps are the big attraction here.

Beautiful mountain Matterhorn with Swiss flag – Swiss Alps

The Gornergrat Railway is another highlight of Zermatt and leaves the village centre on a cogwheel mechanism rising through alpine meadows to the Monte Rosa and Breithorn Glaciers as well as having stunning views of the Matterhorn. Back in Zermatt the Matterhorn Museum tells the story of the famous first ascent of the mountain which took place almost 150 years ago in 1865. Only 3 of the original seven climbers returned to Zermatt alive and a poignant moment in Zermatt is a visit to the cemetery where many famous mountaineers are buried.

Famous mountain Matterhorn (peak Cervino) on the swiss-italian border

Zermatt has delightful old wooden chalets so exploring the back streets is a must. A visit to a chocolate shop is very tempting, and the miniature Matterhorn pralines are an excellent souvenir. But to enjoy Zermatt, most of the time should be spent in the mountains and this area is a paradise for walking, mountain biking and skiing. Year round there is something going on here in the shadow of the Matterhorn and an idyllic part of Switzerland.

The post Highlights of Zermatt appeared first on NIR News / National Investigative Report.

Rip-off Report is characterized as a worldwide customer reporting publication and website to customers, by customers to file and report complaints with regards to individuals or companies. Whereas this site promotes and even necessitates authors to purely file honest and unbiased reports, Rip-off Report does not guarantee that all reports are accurate or authentic. Just because an individual or company is reported on Rip-off Report, this does not mean that customers should not make business with them.

As a suggestion to customers, they should read what they can and make the decision depending upon their assessment to all accessible data. As opposed to the Better Business Bureau, Ripoffreport does not conceal reports of satisfied complaints. Each and every complaint remains unedited and in public and so to make a working history on an individual or a company in a question.

Update on Latest ROR News

Credit: Facebook

To mind their own business, and;
It is not his fault that people are stupid enough to believe what they read on this site and online.

His main problem is about how corrupt and dumb the legal system in America is. For him, the judges who protect ROR are just absurd. Why would they do so if ROR is a total scam? He compares ROR to a pawnshop for they are the center for extortion and blackmail. He says that the practice of these two is just the same, except for the fact that a pawnshop:1) gets an ID; 2) get a signature; and 3) get a fingerprint of a customer.

Jerome wants to teach ROR, together with its partner, which is chiefly Google, a lesson. For him, ROR is pure grade school BS. It is so ridiculous that people are stupid enough to believe everything on the site. Google is the partner and enabler of ROR. The former have spent more than a million dollars fighting one of the people Jerome works with.

Jerome hopes that the ROR owners will go in prison and that Google will lose its business. He will definitely be the first among the many who will celebrate once Rip-off Report goes down and loses its business. If the site does not have mercy, Jerome is sure that soon enough, it will get its bad karma. Many businesses have closed because of ROR. Many businesses have lost great revenue too because of ROR. Moreover, many have lost their jobs because of the false postings in this site.

The post Jerome Almon’s Consumer News Report About Ripoffreport appeared first on NIR News / National Investigative Report.

Keep in mind that the best sports to choose are the ones that you will enjoy the most so you come back to it on a regular basis!

Swimming

Greg L Photos /flickr

How great is swimming when, once in the water, you get this instant light feeling and you are able to move much easier than anywhere else…?!

Although you do not feel the weight of your body anymore in the water, the efforts you make when exercising in the pool are very good for your body. Indeed, the water plays a resistance role that allows you to work out your muscles without damaging your joints! This is ideal for seniors, overweight people or people getting into the sport after a break.

In one hour of swimming, you can burn 700 calories.

Boxing

U. S. Army Boxing/flickr

Boxing is more and more popular in the fitness lessons. Indeed, it is an amazing workout for the arms and a lot of fun. It also develops reflexes and focus.

In one hour of boxing, you can burn 800 calories.

Running

The National Guard/flickr

This is the most accessible sport ever as you will only need a pair of shoes to go for a run. When practiced on a regular basis, running is great to work out your entire body. However running can be damaging for the joints so it will not be the best option for everyone.

In one hour of running, you can burn 850 calories.

Cycling

Tejvan Photos/flickr

Outdoor or indoor, cycling is a very good workout for your legs and your abs. It also improves the cardio and the endurance, without damaging the joints.

In one hour of cycling, you can burn 800 calories.

Squash

Sander van der Wel/flickr

Squash is very good for suppleness and reflexes. It is a good workout for both the upper and lower body.

In one hour of squash, you can burn 800 calories.

The post Which Sport Is The Best To Burn Calories? appeared first on NIR News / National Investigative Report.

Photo Credit: Mike Behnken/flickr

Hong Kong, China looks like the tree orchid it is chosen as the emblem since the handover. This tree comes from an endemic species found near the sea.

As the orchid tree is unique but needs others for his offspring, Hong Kong is independent and at the same time needs China to develop.

Modern city with vertiginous skyscrapers, the Mecca of shopping and nightlife, this city turns heads. Located along the South China Sea, the city includes Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories to the north and 235 islands covering an area of 1,100 km². 6 million people live at the pace of Hong Kong, stable economic power to the singular history.

It is nicknamed “Pearl of the Orient” because life is expensive, luxurious hotels, real estate overpriced. The few cultural sites are free and seduce thousands of tourists every year. But we come especially to see how closely a seething metropolis of the interior.

After the noise and pollution, rejuvenate in the vicinity of Hong Kong.

Just opposite is Macau, a former Portuguese colony attached to China in 1999. You will enjoy the traditional Portuguese architecture in the historic center of Macau and the city museum.

Further north, Canton will reveal its historical treasures that explain the traditional ways of life in China: the Temple of the Chen family’s ancestors or the Temple of the Six Banyan.

Photo Credit: Fredlyfish4/flickr

You will certainly enjoy Guilin, further inland and beautiful scenery with amazing natural attractions like Elephant Trunk Hill or the cave of the reed flute.

History of the City:

Hong Kong’s history begins with the development of the opium trade. Macao is the first Asian port trade with the rest of China and Europe; the English have understood: the opium trade is very profitable but also silk, tea, and handicrafts.

In 1839, the Emperor of China is destroying opium reserves of Canton, which infuriates the British demanding a refund. This is the first Opium War. It ends in 1842 with a treaty which gives Hong Kong to the British for an unlimited period. A few years later, Kowloon is also ceded to England and after a few other Opium Wars, the New Territories, and several hundred islands are administered by the British crown. The lease is set at 99 years.

During the Second World War, Hong Kong was occupied by the Japanese. There will be thousands of deaths among the population that fled to the surrounding countryside.

At the end of the war, the city returns to the English but other problems arise. How can the Chinese Communist accept on its territory a capitalist city? The answer is economic: Hong Kong promotes trade with the world and is profitable for China. But Hong Kong also depends economically on China.

In 1997, the lease ended, Hong Kong returns to Chinese: the handover. Large firms such as Jardine Matheson and immediately relocate to Singapore or Taiwan. To avoid this, Deng Xiaoping adopted the doctrine of “one country, two systems”. Hong Kong has its own constitution with its government and its currency.

Today, Hong Kong is facing its urban planning issues like housing and pollution.

City Tour:

The city center is located in Central, Hong Kong Island. It is the business center. The Kowloon Peninsula brings together shops, restaurants and hotels, particularly in the districts of Yau Ma Tei and Mongkok. New Territories are, mostly, dormitories cities of Hong Kong employees.

Start your tour by Central and all its modern buildings that seem to pierce the sky. Take the time (you will not have many more opportunities) visit the oldest temple in the city, Man Mo Temple. For an overview, go up to Victoria Peak by funicular. Hikes are proposed.

Head north, to join the Kowloon Peninsula. Y gathered in Hong Kong’s main museums: the Museum of the space, the Museum of Arts and the most interesting, the history museum.

Nathan Road is Hong Kong’s most famous street, there is a parade of restaurants, various shops, and hotels. Always in Kowloon’s Yau Ma Tei and Mongkok districts meet the markets of the city: Jade Market, night market, bird market and flower market.

Photo Credit: Kent Wang/flickr

New Territories are not a priority in your route, especially if your time is limited on the island. Only the 10,000 Buddhas Monastery is worth seeing.

Lantau Island, west of Hong Kong, will seduce you with its calm and its long beaches. You can visit the Po Lin Monastery which houses the Buddha Lantau Tian Tan. It is the largest Buddha seated in the lotus of the world.

In the evening, go for a walk in Kowloon that will give you a stunning view of the illuminated skyscrapers of the City.

The post Hong Kong appeared first on NIR News / National Investigative Report.

Photo Credit: mskcc.org

Diindolylmethane (DIM) is a naturally occurring compound that is found in Brassica vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, kale and brussel sprouts. Scientists think that by consuming these vegetables it helps protect the body against cancer because they also contain a related chemical called indole-3-carbinol.

Diindolylmethane is a potent activator of immune response system. The scientists a launched a product ActivaMune Diindolylmethane as a first class nutritional supplement as they combined Diindolylmethane with other multiple nutrients such as Sulforaphane, Selenium, Lycopene, Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Calcium and Vitamins C, D and E. ActivaMune Diindolylmethane is prepared to provide maximum bio-availability. It delivers a bio-active quantity of Diindolylmethane to the consumers. DIM is an immune booster that is used for preventing breast cancer, uterine cancer and colo-rectal cancer. It is also used to prevent enlarged prostate and is used in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome. It is safe when consumed in foods. Taking larger doses of Diindolylmethane preparations has been reported to lower sodium levels in some people.

Diindolylmethane act like oestrogen in the body but there is evidence that sometimes under certain circumstances it might also block estrogen effects and might make hormone sensitive conditions worse. ActiveMune DIM is all natural ingredients, it promotes cellular detoxification and supports multiple organs throughout the body rejuvenating it and beating the stress factor out leaving one feeling good and healthy. It provides phytonutrients that are equivalent to approximately five pounds of fresh organic uncooked spinach, tomatoes, broccoli in addition to other immune system boosters. It is superior to other immune boosters because many manufacturing processes destroys the enzymes necessary for the production of key phytonutrients in the supplement.

Precaution should be taken in cases of pregnancy and breastfeeding since not enough is known about the safety of larger amounts of Diindolylmethane. Children should not be given larger amounts, it is safe when consumed in small amounts found in the food. Hormone-sensitive conditions such as breast, uterine and ovarian cancer, endometriosis and uterine fibroids can be made worse, it is advisable to stay on the safe side and consume the Diindolylmethane found in foods. Endurance sports athletes are advised to take the product before and after their workout as this helps in boosting their immune systems and removing the stress endured.

The post DIINDOLYLMETHANE IMMUNE BOOSTER appeared first on NIR News / National Investigative Report.

When what you need is ‘Straight Talk’ and not legal jargon that you will never be able to understand without full and detailed explanations every step of the way, where do you turn? Do you open up the phone book and throw a dart? Do you simply go off of the word of mouth from friends and relatives? Honestly, neither of these are good options. A legal representative that worked well for someone else may not work for you and your situation. Research is going to be your best option when it comes to a legal representative that will be able to represent you. This is especially true when it comes to family law, business law, and real estate disputes.

Here are some helpful items to look for in a Law Group:

* Free consultation: A firm that offers a 30 to 60-minute free consultation is obviously
vested in their clients. This gives the legal representative time to hear your point of view,
possibly review documentation and governing laws, and discuss with you what exactly the
options would be. From this free consultation, you will be able to make an educated
decision on whether or not the firm is a good fit for you and vice versa.

* Encourage Electronic Usage: There are plenty of firms that encourage correspondence
through forms of electronic measures instead of coming to the office every other day to
discuss something in person that could have been sent in an email. This saves money and
in turn shows you that the potential legal representative is concerned with your financial
health as well.

* Mediation versus Litigation: Not every case needs to go to court. This is not a new
realization for most legal representatives. Entertain the idea of meeting with legal
representatives that use mediation and collaborative law in your financial favor. They are
doing it to keep you out of court, keep your financial burdens low, and assist in closing the
case sooner rather than later. This is especially true if the outcome will be the same
regardless of going to court or not.

The post Three Points To Consider When Choosing A Law Group appeared first on NIR News / National Investigative Report.

The U.S District Court Judge Murray came a step closer to carry out contempt charges against Joe Arpaio, a lawman in Arizona. The judge held the charges against the subject this Thursday because he failed to follow the court mandate in the case of racial-profiling back in 2007.

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore/flickr

Arpaio is an 82 year old Maricopa County sheriff who declares himself to be the toughest sheriff in America. He is accused of holding the Latino drivers for extended periods of time at traffic stops, last year. The case has transformed into a racial-profiling case.

The judge ordered to put a stop to such acts. To fulfill the purpose, the U.S District Court Judge Murray assigned a court monitor to supervise and manage the operations of the sheriff’s office.

Arpaio, Maricopa County and the Latino plaintiffs were ordered by Murray to file the court papers latest by the 8th of January. He declared that the issue be tried on the civil and criminal charges.

In the court hearing in downtown Phoenix, Snow cited some occurrences and said that he has some apprehensions regarding the deputies who were not told about the court’s mandate and order, where the material was not returned to the lawyers of the Latino drivers.

Photo Credit: mcso.org

He further added that there are some serious violations of law on many fronts and a number of issues are of great concern.

Snow issued his ruling in response to a lawsuit filed by the Latino plaintiffs in May 2013. The Latino drivers argued for their constitutional rights which they believed were violated because they were signaled out by the deputies for traffic stops.

The hearing was attended by Apraio along with his criminal defense attorney, Melvin McDonald on Thursday. He refused the racial profiling charges and made an appeal for the ruling of the last year made by Snow.

The post Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio May Face Civil and Criminal Charges appeared first on NIR News / National Investigative Report.

Although this is not the first time that the Ebola virus has managed to find its way through the shores of Africa, its latest development has been nothing less than alarming. As is stands right now a handful of West African countries have been affected, namely Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone. The Ebola scare is becoming very widespread.

Photo Credit: cdc.gov

It is believed that the virus emerged for the first time back in 1976, in Sudan and Zaire. The virus is named after the Zaire river Ebola. The very first outbreak is thought to have infected around 284 people with a mortality rate of 53%. The Ebola scare’s second emergence was reported in Yambuku, Zaire. The Ebola-Zaire (EBOZ) virus recorded the highest rate of mortality of any Ebola virus (88%) when it infected 318 people. Then came the third strain of the virus, Ebola Reston (EBOR), which was identified in 1989 when it infected some monkeys in Reston, Virginia, from Mindanao in the Philippines. Now Ebola has managed to find its way to the annals of West Africa. The 2014 Ebola scare outbreak has become a major threat not only to Africa, but to the whole World as well.

As the Ebola epidemic frenzies, two questions have emerged: How did this virus managed to escape detection for three whole months? And why do the global interventions fail to contain it?

In Guinea, the case first started in the small village of Meliandou, located in the Forest region of the southern parts of the country. Bush meat has been a long source of food for the village and they had it in bounty. But in the dying days of last December, the ordinary life in the village came to an end when the Ebola virus arrived in the village most likely carried by fruit bats, its natural non-human reservoir, according to the consensus among scientists around the world. The Ebola scare is one of the lethal viruses known to the world, with no specific cure has been found yet and the mortality rate is up to 90% of the affected.

Photo Credit: European Commission DG ECHO

But the mystery of the hour is not how the epidemic began; it is rather why an unwavering attempt by an army of global connoisseurs is being ineffective. Part of the answer is the chameleon-like behaviour of the virus in this part of the world. An even larger part is the global response itself. It was very swift and comprehensive; just as you would expect. But in the end there was a bewildering reaction that enervated everything that the experts wanted to achieve; and in the meantime hoodwinked many of them into believing that they had prospered in their goals. In the end they saw the truth, but by then it was already too late.

Jeffrey E. Stern has reported that the outbreak started when a bunch of tiny rod-shaped particles, each merely an attack plan that is coded in ribonucleic acid and wrapped in a protein shell, found their way from a fruit bat to the body of a child merely two years of age. Maybe, while the mother was preparing the day’s hunt, some of the fruit bat’s blood got in the child’s way. Perhaps, while the mother had her attention elsewhere, the child managed to touch the animal and as babies tend to do, gobbled its hand. No matter how it went, a few of the Ebola scare attached themselves to the cells of the child’s immune system and used the cells’ machinery to replicate themselves. The boy then developed a fever, followed by diarrhoea and vomiting. One by one, his organs began to fail. He then began bleeding internally and fell into septic shock. In no more than 4 days after the Ebola scare got into him, he was dead.

Until 2014, 280 people had died in the deadliest recorded Ebola outbreak. During the writing of this article, 3,091 have already died from the Ebola scare outbreak in West Africa, out of 6,574 confirmed cases, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO). When Ebola strikes, it kills quickly, but it can take up to three whole weeks to incubate, although in most cases it takes only 10 days.

Photo Credit: Global Panorama/standbytaskforce1

How can you get infected? By direct contact with:

The body fluids of an already sick person, no matter if they are alive or dead. Body fluids include everything from blood, sweat and semen to vomit, pee, and poop.

An object that is contaminated with the virus, like a needle or other medical equipment.

Infected animal, by contacting its blood, fluids or meat.

The early symptoms of the Ebola scare include: fever, headache, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pain, unexplained bleeding or bruising muscle pain. The virus can only be spread to others after the symptoms have begun to show.

It has also been reported that the virus cannot be detected in the blood unless the symptoms have started. An epidemic can go on for weeks without being noticed. This means that one can be a carrier of the virus, and still go on undetected.

Although a few years back, the Ebola scare fell in its tracks, this time it has managed to gain momentum elsewhere, spreading throughout whole forests and venturing more and more dangerously close to international borders. For the moment, there is no effective drug that is seen as a cure for the Ebola scare, even though there have been a couple of experimental drugs which are said to be effective in their own way. Until a cure has been found, we have to do everything in our power not to get infected.

The post Where did Ebola Come From? appeared first on NIR News / National Investigative Report.